Man accused of stealing from cars is arraigned

Police say 30-year-old took purses, GPS units, phones, change

Updated 10:56 pm, Tuesday, February 26, 2013

Photo: Lori Van Buren

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Hiram Morales is arraigned on numerous charges for allegedly stealing from cars in Lansingburgh over a period of time at the Troy City Court on Tuesday Feb. 26, 2013 in Troy, N.Y. The judge on the bench is Judge Christopher Maier and the defense attorney is Charles Wilcox. (Lori Van Buren / Times Union) less

Hiram Morales is arraigned on numerous charges for allegedly stealing from cars in Lansingburgh over a period of time at the Troy City Court on Tuesday Feb. 26, 2013 in Troy, N.Y. The judge on the bench is ... more

Photo: Lori Van Buren

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Hiram Morales enters the courtroom at Troy City Court for his arraignment on numerous charges of stealing from cars in Lansingburgh over a period of time on Tuesday Feb. 26, 2013 in Troy, N.Y. (Lori Van Buren / Times Union) less

Hiram Morales enters the courtroom at Troy City Court for his arraignment on numerous charges of stealing from cars in Lansingburgh over a period of time on Tuesday Feb. 26, 2013 in Troy, N.Y. (Lori Van Buren ... more

Photo: Lori Van Buren

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Hiram Morales enters the courtroom at Troy City Court for his arraignment on numerous charges of stealing from cars in Lansingburgh over a period of time on Tuesday Feb. 26, 2013 in Troy, N.Y. (Lori Van Buren / Times Union) less

Hiram Morales enters the courtroom at Troy City Court for his arraignment on numerous charges of stealing from cars in Lansingburgh over a period of time on Tuesday Feb. 26, 2013 in Troy, N.Y. (Lori Van Buren ... more

Photo: Lori Van Buren

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Hiram Morales stands with his attorney Charles Wilcox as he is arraigned on numerous charges of stealing from cars in Lansingburgh over a period of time at the Troy City Court on Tuesday Feb. 26, 2013 in Troy, N.Y. (Lori Van Buren / Times Union) less

Hiram Morales stands with his attorney Charles Wilcox as he is arraigned on numerous charges of stealing from cars in Lansingburgh over a period of time at the Troy City Court on Tuesday Feb. 26, 2013 in Troy, ... more

Photo: Lori Van Buren

Man accused of stealing from cars is arraigned

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TROY – A 30-year-old city man was arraigned on felony charges on Tuesday in connection with a string of thefts from parked cars, including those of parishioners attending Mass last month at St. Augustine's Church.

Hiram Morales, 30, of Second Avenue, who allegedly has been connected to thefts in December and January — more than two dozen in December alone — was seen last month acting suspiciously in an alley between 113th and 114th streets and charged with possessing a pair of stolen headphones, authorities said. That arrest prompted police to sort through dozens of incidents of car break-ins and thefts in the Lansingburgh section of the city, many reported by the North Lansingburgh Neighborhood Watch, Capt. John Cooney said.

Morales was charged with four counts of third-degree criminal mischief and three counts of fourth-degree grand larceny, all felonies, as well as misdemeanor counts of petit larceny.

Morales waived his right to a preliminary hearing, and City Judge Christopher Maier sent him to jail without bail pending grand jury action.

Morales is to appear Wednesday in Brunswick Town Court to answer felony counts for using a credit card at Walmart on Hoosick Road that he allegedly stole from one of the cars.

Morales is accused of taking objects left in plain sight, such as purses, wallets, GPS units, mp3 players, cellular phones, spare change and other small items, Cooney said.

Detective Sgt. Sean Kittle examined all the physical evidence and tracked down numerous victims over the past month to connect Morales to the break-ins. Kittle found some witnesses who had allegedly observed Morales searching through and dumping the unwanted items in city alleyways.